Archive for the 'Transactions' Category

Coming around on Michael Curry

Published by Matt Watson on June 9, 2008 in Transactions. 32 Comments

When I first heard that Michael Curry was the front-runner to replace Flip Saunders, I was less than enthused. The guy has one year of coaching experience as an assistant, surely he’s not ready to take the keys, right? But the more I thought about it, the more I talked myself into liking it, which is why I’m excited about today’s news that he’s officially been hired.

As a player, Curry was frequently the least talented player on the court. There’s no way to gloss that over, he just wasn’t very good. But not only did he enjoy a solid career, he also made himself indispensable with defense, hustle and leadership. He served as captain for both the Pistons and the Raptors and even served as President of the NBA Players Association, commanding the respect and trust of his more talented peers.

Since hanging them up, Curry served as Vice President of Player Development of the NBDL, as well as Vice President of Basketball Operations of the NBA. This isn’t just some jock who thinks he’s entitled for a shot just because he played the game. If anything, it seems like he was being groomed to be the next Joe Dumars, not the next Avery Johnson, and it’s his executive-level experience that I’m most excited about.

He learned his X’s and O’s during his 11-year career, and he’ll be surrounded by experienced assistants to help fill any blanks. But the fact that he’s also been groomed to maintain a big-picture view of an organization is most encouraging. He’s not coming into this with an ego of “well, this is what worked for me before.” Instead, he’s here to facilitate Joe Dumars’ vision.

Dumars refused to get into specifics about Flip Saunders’ failings during last week’s press conference, but he did indicate that everybody wasn’t always on the same page. I’m sure he was referencing more than just one thing, but in his subsequent radio interview with Stoney and Wojo, he admitted that Saunders’ refusal to trust the team’s younger players was an issue:

Q: Were you disappointed [Amir Johnson] didn’t get more of an opportunity in the playoffs?

A: I’m disappointed he didn’t get more of an opportunity this season and the playoffs. You know how Rodney Stuckey as a young guy can do certain things that nobody else on our team can do from the perimeter position? I feel the same way about Amir in the front court position, that there are certain things that nobody else can do, just from an athletic standpoint, from a speed, from a quickness, from an ability to play above the rim the way he does. I think he can bring that us and so I would love to see him as we go forward become more integrated into what we’re doing here.

It’s hard to hear Dumars say that and not think the next coach will have strict guidelines for developing the future, especially since (barring any offseason trades) Amir seems to be the heir apparent to the starting power forward job once Rasheed Wallace’s contract expires after next season.

Given Curry’s strengths as a player, I’m guessing his hiring also means good things for the defense, which the players sound ready to embrace. After losing to the Celtics in Game 6, Rip Hamilton pointed out how the team needed to get back to its roots:

I thought we lost focus on what won us the title. I always say, when we won, we got grimy, we got hard, we might not shoot the ball well but we defended and you know that this was Pistons basketball. We didn’t score, they didn’t score. And now it’s like, we give up dunks, we give up layups, you know what I’m saying? Stuff like that. It’s tough, man, you got to get back to that.

Only time will tell if this gamble pays off, but from my view, this is a good day for the Pistons.

It’s official: Michael Curry is the new coach

Published by Matt Watson on June 9, 2008 in Transactions. 13 Comments

Here’s the AP’s entire 12-word announcement:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Michael Curry will coach the Detroit Pistons says team exec Joe Dumars.

WDFN confirms it (via TZ and Ballhype):

WDFN broke the story that Joe Dumars has indeed hired Michael Curry as the next head coach of the Pistons. The press conference will be Tuesday at Noon and you’ll hear it live on Sportsradio 1130 - WDFN.

Updates will follow, I’m sure.

Update: More details from the AP:

Dumars tells the AP Curry will be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday. The team sent out a release Monday afternoon saying the new coach would be announced at that news event, but did not reveal his identity.

Curry agreed to a three-year deal worth $2.5 million a year guaranteed with the team holding the option for a fourth season.

Curry lacks any head coaching experience, and he’s being paid accordingly: his annual salary will be less than half of the $5.4 million Saunders is collecting this year.

In appreciation of Flip Saunders

Published by Matt Watson on June 3, 2008 in Transactions. 30 Comments

Dumars said the “coaching search” won’t take very long (will he even interview anyone but Michael Curry?), but before we start talking about the new guy, I just wanted to recognize the old one. Flip Saunders had his faults, sure, but don’t forget that once upon a time he was considered the answer to Detroit’s problems.

Yeah, the defense was great in the good ol’ days, but all too often the Pistons would go eight, nine, 10 straight minutes without a field goal. The offense was a disaster. I can’t remember when the word “complacency” became the word of choice to describe this team, but it’s not like the Pistons didn’t always suffer through long periods of play where fans would tear their hair out wondering why they couldn’t just score.

Before Flip, Ben Wallace was the team’s long All-Star. Under Flip, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups have gone to their first three All-Star games, with Rasheed Wallace going for the third and fourth time. It’s easy to dog Flip’s performance in the playoffs, but he guided the Pistons to a franchise-best 64 wins in 2006, a third-best 59 wins this year and a top 10 53 wins in 2007.

Of the teams the Pistons have lost to in the Conference Finals, one (Miami in 2006) ended up winning the whole thing, another (Cleveland in 2007) came on the heels of one of the most transcendent performances in NBA playoff history, and the other (Celtics this year, duh) came against a team that was near universally regarded as the league’s best for most of the season.

I’m not trying to gloss over his failings, but the guy did his job about as well as anyone could have possibly expected. Dumars’ decree that “there are no sacred cows” is proof that he holds the players just as responsible as the coach. This was a change that needed to be made for reasons of timing (namely, Flip entering the final year of his contract) as much as anything else.

I don’t doubt for a second that Dumars will ask his next coach to do certain things differently (Free Amir!), but I also don’t doubt that Saunders will easily find another job and continuing winning a boatload of games. I just wanted to get that out there before we forget and/or bury the guy.

Theo Ratliff is signed and delivered

Published by Matt Watson on March 5, 2008 in Shameless Plugging and Transactions. 4 Comments

Theo Ratliff was at the Palace last night, meeting some new teammates, reuniting with others and talking to the press while wearing a Pistons (practice) jersey for the first time in almost 10 years. From my latest on HOOPSWORLD:

It’s been several years since Ratliff has been a part of a contender, and he’s spent much of that time on teams devoted to developing younger players whom he’s helped mentor. “I think I had a great influence on those guys … [But] now’s the time for me to get my satisfaction,” he said while laughing. “My satisfaction of being able to become a Piston again, with the team they have and the record that they have and where they’re going. I feel like I can add a lot as far as coming off the bench and being able to be a big spark, just fitting right in with the defensive mentality that these guys have. And that’s why I’m so excited about being a part of this organization.”

Ratliff was also effusive in his praise for Arnie Kander (”He’s a miracle worker, so I’m going to let him lay his hands on me …”) and expects to be healthy enough to contribute the rest of the way. Flip Saunders agrees and said Ratliff will likely compete for more minutes than Dale Davis would have been expected to, especially come the postseason:

“I think we’re committed to staying with the rotation that we have and see where that takes us,” said Saunders. “But I think what we do have is we do have other players that, if things aren’t working, maybe you have a little bit of a shorter leash … If our bench gives us in the playoffs what they’re giving us right now, we’re going to play them. Our hope is that they’re going to be able to continue to do that.”

Ratliff Returns to Detroit / HOOPSWORLD

Pistons swap Primoz Brezec for Juan Dixon

Published by Matt Watson on February 21, 2008 in Transactions. 54 Comments

The Pistons didn’t completely sit on their hands at the deadline. From the DetNews:

They sent Primoz Brezec to Toronto for guard Juan Dixon.

Dixon, 29, averaged 4.3 points and 11.8 minutes in 36 games for the Raptors this season.

He was a first-round pick (17th overall) by Washington in 2002 out of Maryland. He has played for Washington, Portland and Toronto.

Both Brezec and Dixon have expiring deals, so this was purely about shifting assets. The move is slightly curious, though, considering the backcourt wasn’t considered a position of need for the Pistons, especially with Lindsey Hunter and Flip Murray not even active these days.

Dixon is probably upgrade over Murray, though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Murray was soon released. If that happens, the Pistons would have an extra roster spot to play with. Might we see yet another return of Ronald Dupree? Here’s my vote: sign D-League blog-star Rod Benson, just because.

Update: Here’s my extended take at HOOPSWORLD.

Update: From Krista Jahnke’s Freep blog:

With Brezec gone, the move also gives the Pistons a need for a fifth, insurance-type big man. After clearing Murray, the Pistons will move to fill their open roster spot by adding a veteran big man for the veteran’s minimum.

A likely candidate to take that job is Dale Davis, who is not playing but was on the Pistons roster in 2005-06 and 2006-07. Davis was recently seen hanging with his old teammates and chatting with Dumars after the team played in Atlanta on Feb. 12.

Nazr Mohammed (finally) traded

Published by Matt Watson on December 14, 2007 in Transactions. 61 Comments

I just saw it on ESPN, and after checking around it seems A. Sherrod Blakely is the first to print:

The Pistons are set to announce a trade with Charlotte that will send Nazr Mohammed to the Hornets, in exchange for Walter Hermann and Primoz Brezec. I’ll have more details later. The Pistons also requested waivers on Ronald Dupree.

Very interesting — Brezec is a capable C in a “takes up space” kind of way and Hermann is an awfully intriguing SF/PF.

Update: Above and beyond what Joe Dumars thinks of these two players, it’s hard not to think money wasn’t a factor: Nazr has three years left on his deal after this season; Hermann and Brezec, meanwhile, are free agents at the end of the season. Plus, the Pistons will shave money off their payroll this year: Nazr was scheduled to make $938,200 more than Hermann and Brezec combined this year.

Late update: I glazed right over the fact the little blurb above said Hornets, that’s kind of funny …

Sammy Mejia cut by Ft. Wayne

Published by Matt Watson on November 28, 2007 in Transactions. 4 Comments

It’s a fine, fine line between being good enough to play in the NBA and being banished overseas. Sammy Mejia, who almost made the Pistons roster, was waived by the D-League Ft. Wayne Mad Ants. From Chris McCosky’s blog for the Detroit News:

Don’t know if you caught this, but Sammy Mejia was cut from the D-League Fort Wayne team. Kind of a shocker. The late second-round pick was the last guy cut by the Pistons and one of the first cut by a D-League team. Problem was, apparently, Mejia’s ankle hasn’t gotten right since he hurt it in August. They don’t carry any extra bodies in the D-League, so if you can’t play, you are out. The Pistons think Mejia will hook on with somebody overseas, probably in China.

I won’t say the guy tore up the preseason, because he didn’t, but he was solid in the Vegas Summer League and generally looked like he knew what he was doing out there. Plus, as a point forward during his time at DePaul, he knew how to handle the rock.

I still believe that he’ll eventually make his way back, but to think that he’ll do it via Shanghai or Beijing, wow — that’s a tough break.

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Rip won’t play; Fitch released

Published by Matt Watson on October 16, 2007 in Injuries, Preseason 2007-08 and Transactions. 12 Comments

Couple of minor (and expected) updates: Rip Hamilton won’t play tomorrow in Grand Rapids because of the sprained ankle suffered in Sunday’s game.

There’s been some speculation that he might miss the rest of the preseason, which sounds worse than it is. Bear in mind, a lot of stars miss these games even when healthy. Hamilton always seems to be in shape, so putting him out there before he’s 110% doesn’t make the most sense.

Also, the team released Gerald Fitch on Monday. A former college teammate of Tayshaun Prince, Fitch was never expected to make the team but was brought in simply to provide another body to practice with. Releasing him actually does him the favor of giving him time to perhaps latch on elsewhere.

The Pistons still have 16 contracts and only 15 roster spots, so another move will have to be made between now and the start of the regular season. The battle is most likely between Ronald Dupree and Sammy Mejia. I’m sure neither player would admit it — Mejia told me on Sunday he’s not paying attention to any of it — but the pressure is on these next two weeks.

Jason Maxiell is extended

Published by Matt Watson on October 2, 2007 in Transactions. 3 Comments

It wasn’t too hard to see this coming:

The Pistons wasted no time in finalizing one of their training camp to-dos Monday. Just after noon, the team announced it was picking up power forward Jason Maxiell’s option for the 2008-09 season, the last year of his rookie contract.

“Jason is a tough, physical player on the front-line who continues to grow and mature within our system,” team president Joe Dumars said in a statement. “We look forward to the contributions he will bring this season and beyond.”

Maxiell will make just over $1.8 million in 2008-09 before becoming a restricted free agent. It’s funny how things work out: Maxiell was a first-rounder in 2005 while Amir Johnson was a second-rounder. Maxiell also cracked the rotation last year while Johnson toiled lit up the D-League … yet Johnson is the one with a new contract that pays him more than double what Maxiell will earn over the next two years. Sometimes being a first-round pick isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Surprise! The Pistons sign Jarvis Hayes

Published by Matt Watson on August 16, 2007 in From the news and Transactions. 58 Comments

The Pistons announced today the signing of Jarvis Hayes. From Pistons.com:

We are pleased to add Jarvis Hayes to our roster,” Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement. “Jarvis has proven himself as a solid NBA player over the last four seasons and we like the flexibility and depth he will bring to our team at the small forward position.”

Hayes is a more consistent outside shooter than Delfino and, at 6-foot-8, is bigger. He got squeezed out in Washington when the Wizards, already heavily invested in their perimeter with Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and No. 1 pick Nick Young, chose not to extend a qualifying offer to Hayes, who was scheduled to be a restricted free agent.

Unfortunately, the Pistons didn’t release any of the contract terms, including the length of the deal. But if we assume Hayes was had for a relatively modest one-year deal (he made just $2.5 million last year), it’s not a bad move at all. I was concerned about the small forward depth earlier this summer but eventually bought into the company line that Arron Afflalo could handle the job. Now I realize the Pistons had other plans all along.

Hayes may not have lived up to his billing as the former 10th overall pick in the 2003 draft, but he might not a horrible guy to play 15-20 minutes a night. I’m not sure his size is really an asset, though; yes, he’s two inches taller than Delfino, but that’s kind of beside the point considering he’s not as good of a defender and he makes his money shooting jump shots.

In fact, even though Hayes is a legitimate small forward while Delfino was an off-guard playing out of position, I’m not sure Hayes is an actual improvement. If you compare their seasons last year, you’ll see Delfino had more assists, more rebounds, just two fewer steals and a better field-goal percentage despite playing far fewer minutes. The only real advantage Hayes has is shooting from long distance, where he shot .361 compared to Delfino’s .331.

The real comparison shouldn’t be between Delfino and Hayes, though, but rather between Hayes and Afflalo/Ronald Dupree/Sammy Mejia. Those three are all unproven while Hayes is a legitimate rotation guy, so getting deeper is getting better. Even so, the Pistons already have 15 guys under contract, so someone has to go. Will Lindsey Hunter retire? Flip Murray be bought out? Mejia released? The Pistons have the rest of the summer to make that decision, so we’ll probably have to wait and see.

Thanks to DBB reader Glenn for the head’s up.

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